The Outsider Read Online Free PDF Page A

practically handed the guy an invitation to come after them.
    â€œDid the witnesses get a good look at you? Do you think they’ll be able to give Valenti a decent description?” Isabel asked.
    â€œThey’ll probably be able to give him names and addresses,” Michael muttered.
    Isabel gave Max The look, the “tell all — or else” look.
    â€œLiz Ortecho is the one who got shot. She knows I did something to heal her. I think her friend Maria DeLuca knows, too,” Max admitted. “She must know. She was the one trying to stop the bleeding.”
    â€œThat means Valenti is going to be at our door in, like, two seconds,” Isabel cried. “He’s going to find out the truth about you!”
    â€œIzzy — ,” Max began.
    â€œAnd it’s not going to take a genius to figure out that if you’re not from around here, your sister isn’t, either,” Isabel went on. “How could you do that to me, Max? Valenti will know the truth about both of us. He’ll turn us over to some government agency, and — ”
    â€œI think we should get out of here,” Michael interrupted. “I think we should get in the Jeep and start driving, and I don’t think we should stop until we’re out of the state.”
    â€œStop: Just stop it, okay?” Max ordered. He sat up a little straighter and shoved his blond hair off his forehead. “Liz lied to the paramedics for me. I told her to say that she broke a bottle of ketchup and spilled it all over herself, and she did. We can trust her. And I’m sure Maria will go along with Liz.”
    â€œYou don’t know that,” Isabel insisted. “You put all of us in danger, Max.”
    â€œNow you know how I feel every time you use your powers,” Max shot back.
    â€œNo. Do not even try to make this about me,” Isabel yelled. “You — .”
    â€œLiz is going to have a lot of questions,” Michael cut in. “What exactly are you planning to tell her?”
    â€œThe truth,” Max answered.
    â€œNo way!” Michael exploded.
    Isabel stared at her brother. She recognized the expression on his face — he had made up his mind.
    Slowly she sank down on the arm of his chair. She had to find a way to make him really hear her. She had to convince him he was about to do something that could destroy them all.
    â€œMax, we’re not living in Disneyland, okay?” she said quietly. “We aren’t living in a happy, perfect place. It would be nice if we were, but we’re just not. You can’t trust everyone. It’s not safe.”
    Max shook his head. “I’m not talking about
everyone.
I’m talking about Liz.”
    â€œLiz and probably Maria,” Isabel reminded him. “You think you know them, but there is no way you can possibly know how they’ll react when you tell them you’re — not the same as them. They might look at you and see something totally repulsive and scary.”
    Max didn’t answer. Isabel could see that he wasn’t convinced.
    She stood up and began to pace. Maybe Michael was right. Maybe they
should
just take off. They weren’t safe now that two humans were so close to learning their secret.
    â€œYou’re the one who made the rule, Max. You made us all swear we would never tell anyone, remember?” Michael asked.
    Isabel could hear the strain in his voice. He sounded almost as scared as she felt.
    â€œAnd you were right,” Michael continued, “because there are humans out there who would track us down and kill us if they found out we exist.”
    Isabel heard a car pull into the driveway.
    She spun to face Max. “It’s happening,” she spat at him. “Valenti’s coming after us already. What are we going to do?”

3
    Max sprang out of the recliner and rushed down the front hall. He took a quick look out the thin window next to the door.